4 Key Project Management Skills That Business Owners Need

February 2, 2017

4 Key Project Management Skills That Business Owners Need

Good project and program management skills are crucial for those who own a business. This is especially true when your business is still in the early stages, as during this time period you may be unable to hire project managers and will need to take on much of this responsibility yourself. Good project managers possess a varied skillset, which enables them to be proficient at their job. Even if you have little past experience in managing projects, improving your skills in these areas will enable you to better manage projects and programs as an entrepreneur.

Communication Skills

Whether you’re learning on the job or have decided to improve your knowledge and skills with an online project and program management degree from Brandeis University, excellent communication skills are one of the most important skills that any project manager should possess. This is especially important, because as the business owner, it will be your responsibility to clearly communicate your plans, hopes, expectations and guidelines to your team. Great project managers also understand that communication is a two-way street and will always welcome suggestions, ideas, and feedback from their team.

Time Management

If you think that there’s room to improve when it comes to your time management skills, you might want to consider studying for an online MSMPP program, as this will not only teach you more about practical project management, but it also provides you with a hands-on method of learning new time management skills and putting them into practice. As a business owner and project manager, it’s important to not only be able to keep yourself on track, but your team as well.

Community Spirit and Teamwork

The best project managers know that teamwork is the key to success. Even if you prefer to work alone or find that you’re more productive when it’s just you working on something, it’s important to get involved with your team so that you can get to know them and create a community of trust. As a project manager, it’s important to get on well with your team and feel that you can communicate openly with them about anything pertaining to the task.

Leadership Skills

Those who succeed in business are often people who understand the importance of good leadership in entrepreneurship and project management. Good leadership is about pitching in and helping your project teams and your business employees to achieve their targets, overcome obstacles and setbacks, and build on and use their main strengths. As a good leader you’ll be able to spot where your team members could use some improvement, and work together to help them with this by communicating honestly and providing them with opportunities to learn and expand their own skills and knowledge. Becoming a better project manager doesn’t only mean improving yourself, but also taking the time to become familiar with each member of your team.

When you own a business, managing projects and programs will often be your responsibility. Improving these skills will help you achieve your business goals by enabling you to be a better project manager.